Firearm.



E. E. REDFIELD.

FIREARM. APBLIOATIOH FILED JAN. 28, 19,13.

Patented July 14, 1914 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. E. REDFIELD.

FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1913.

1,1 03,687. Patented July 14, 1914b 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

B E. RBDPIELD.

FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1913.

1,103,687. Patented July 14,1914. V

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

short barreled, small caliber rifle of the EDWARD E. REDFIELD, OF GLENDALE, OREGON.

FIREARM.

mosses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1914.

Application filed January 28, 1913. Serial No. 744,627.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD E. REDFIELD, acitizen of the United States, residing in Glendale, Douglas county, State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Firearms, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof.

This invention relates to magazine or repeating firearms of the slide-action type, in which the several operations of extracting and ejecting the empty shell, placing the fresh cartridge in the chamber of the bar rel and cocking the hammer are performed by the reciprocating movement of a foreend or grip-piece which is generally mounted on the magazine tube below the barrel.

The invention has been developed with especial reference to the production of a type referred to which is adapted to be carried about conveniently. Some of the features of the invention have to do particularly with such a firearm, but other features of the invention, as will appear more clearly hereinafter, are capable of application to shoulder arms of the usual type. The construction of the devices which are directly involved in the extraction and ejection of the empty shell, the placing of a fresh cartridge in the chamber of the barrel and the cocking of the hammer resembles in a general way the construction of devices for the same purpose shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,031,373, dated July 2, 1912, but the construction of such devices has been improved in various respects as will be pointed out hereinafter.

One object of the invention has been to reduce the number of parts and therefore to simplify the construction and reduce the cost of construction as well as to reduce the liability to derangement of the mechanism. The lifter, by which each fresh cartridge is placed in position for introductio-ninto the chamber of the barrel, is made in one piece and besides its main function is made to play a part in the unlocking of the slide. The slide latch, besides serving its principal function, also operates as a cut-off to prevent other cartridges from being crowded back on to the lifter when one has been placed thereon in readiness to be moved into line with the barrel; it is moved to release the slide in part by the movement of the trigger by which it is directly engaged, and in part by the movement of the hammer, be ing held down by the slide bar itself after its rearward movement has begun. The cooking of the hammer is effected, somewhat as usual, by the rearward movement of the slide bar, the cocking movement being continued during the rearward movement of the breech-block and completed when the breech-block has reached its rearmost position. The ejector is arranged to be retracted positively and to be actuated positively, being formed in one piece and operating without the aid of springs. These features will be more fully explained hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, together with other features to be referred to.

In the drawings, in which the invention is illustrated Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a firearm which embodies the invention. In this figure a telescope is shown on the rifle, but is not shown in the other figures of the drawing. Fig. 2 is a detail view partly in section, the breech-block and its associated parts being shown in the positions which they occupy when the, gun is loaded and ready for firing. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but with the parts in the positions which they occupy after the trigger has been pulled and before the rearward movement of the slide bar is commenced. Fig. 4 is also a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the breech-block in its rearward position and the associated parts 1 in their corresponding position. Fig. 5 is a view in horizontal section on the plane indicated by the broken line 55 of Fig. 2, the ejector being shown in normal position. Fig. 6 is a partial View, on a large scale, of some of the parts shown in Fig. 5, with the ejector in ejecting position. Fig. 7 is a view in transverse section on the plane indicated by the line 77 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a detail View in section on the'plane indicated by the line 88 of Fig. 7, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the ejector. Fig. 10 is a perspective View of the trigger. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the slide latch. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the rear end of a slide bar. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the sear. Fig. 14 is a view, partly in section of the safety. 7

In the firearm shown in the drawings the barrel a, chambered to receive the cartridge,

and provided with a telescope a, the magazine I) provided with the spring pressed follower 6, the receiver in which the barrel a is detachably secured and the frame cl, provided in this instance with a pistol-grip cl, may be constructed and arranged substantially as usual.

The breech-block 6, instead of having a starting lever pivoted thereon and adapted to be engaged by the slide bar, as shown in said Letters Patent, in this instance is engaged directly by the slide bar, having in its left hand side, as shown in Fig. 2, an L- shaped slot 0, one member of which is substantially vertical, while the other member is inclined downwardly and forwardly, for a purpose to be explained hereinafter. When the breech-block is in its forward position, as shown in Fig. 2, it rests at its rear end against an abutment 0 of the frame. When it is in its rearmost position, substantially as shown in Fig. 4,1further movement to the rear is resisted by the rear face 0 of the frame. The movement of the breech-block to open the breech is first downward at its rear end to clear the abutment c and is then downward and rearward. The cocking lever of said patent is also dispensed with in this case and the hammer it, which is longitudinally movable in the breech-block e and is driven forward by'an actuating hammer spring h, when released by the sear 2' (shown in Fig. 3 is provided with a downwardly extendedarm 7& which is directly engaged by the slide bar in its rearward movement so that the hammer is cooked thereby,

as explained hereinafter. The lower extremity of the hammer arm also serves another purpose to be referred to. The sear 71, shown detached in Fig. 13 and shown also in Figs. 2 and 3, is pivoted at a" in the breech-block and receives at its forward end the pressure of a spring 2' by which the shoulder 2' at itsrear end is held in position to engage the hammer and hold it in cocked position, as shown in Fig. 2. The sear has a depending arm 2' with a beveled lug 2' at its lower end for cooperation with a similar lug 0 on'the trigger 0, so that the trigger lug, in its downward and forward movement, pulls the'sear ljug down and releases the hammer.

The usual fore-end is may be mounted on the magazine b and, as usual, has. extended rearwardly a slide bar 70, shown clearly in Figs. 2, and 12, and by broken lines in Fig. 4. Near itsrear end it has a lug 70 which enters and travels in the Lshaped slot 6 of the breech-block and also bears against the arm k of the hammer. In the first part of the rearward movement of the slide bar the lug 70 traveling in the inclined portion of the slot 6, pulls the rear end of the breech-block downward so that it clears the abutmentc of the frame andthen, engag- I ing the vertical portion of the slot, carries the breech-block rearwardly while permitting its downward movement. The lug also bears against the arm 7& of the hammer and effects thecocking of the hammer during its rearward movement. is also provided with a knife edged cam lug 70 to cooperate with the lifter as hereinafter described.

The cartridge lifter Z, shown clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, is pivoted at Z in the frame, is adapted 'at its forward end to receive each cartridge as it is pressed rearwardly from the magazine and to lift it into line'with the bore of the barrel, and at its rear end is provided with a knife edged lug l for 00- operation with the knife edged lug 10 of the slide bar. In the rearward movement of the slide bar the lug k passes under the lug Z of the lifter, but at the'end of the rearward movement of the breech-block its end or The slide bar' the arm of the hammer carried by the'breechblock,being suitably beveled, as shown at 6 strikes the lug Z and depresses the rear end of the lifter slightly so that the rear edge of the lug Z stands below the forward edge of the lug 70 of the slide bar. In the forward movement of the slide bar fromits rearmost position the lug 70 therefore strikes.

the upper side of the lug Z and furtherldepresses the rear end of thelifter, raising r p the forward end of the lifter withthe car tridge thereon. In its further forward movement the breech-block pushes the cartridge from the, lifter into the chamber of the barrel. It will be observed that the lifter is in one piece and carries no spring snapfor cooperation with the slide bar, the cost of manufacture being thereby reduced and the certainty of proper action under all condi-p tions increased.

The slide bar is locked in its forward poa sition by a spring pressed slide locking lever or latch m which is pivoted at'm. in the frame and is provided on its rearwardly extending arm with a shoulder m which, at the end of the forward movement of the slide bar, stands behind the toe 70 of the slide bar and prevents the backward movements of.

the slide bar until the latch is moved to permit it. This. locking lever or latch is shown in Figs. 3 and 4: and in detail in I Fig. 11. It is shown as a three-armed lever.

The rearwardly extending arm, hi h Calla j ries the lockingshoulder m is also adapted to be engaged by the trigger '0, having a lug m whichenters a recess 0 in the forward end of the trigger. The lower arm m 'serves as a finger piece so that the latch can be moved to release the slide bar by a forward pressure of the finger within the trigger guard, into which the arm m projects. The third or forwardly projecting arm m ,upwardly curved, serves as a cut ofl tobe pro ject-ed into the path of the cartridges as they pass rearwardly from' the magazine and to prevent the movement of the next cartridge rearwardly upon the lifter when one has already been moved thereon. The latch may be moved to unlock the slide, not only by the movement of the trigger and by the movement of the finger piece, but by the movement of the hammer, for as the hammer moves forward the arm thereof strikes the shoulder Z of the lifter in front of the pivot and presses the lifter downward slightly. A shoulder Z on the underside of the lifter bears against the latch in rear of its pivot m and presses the rear arm of the lifter downward sufficiently to release the slide bar for rearward movement. It will be noted that the downward movement of the rear arm of the latch from any cause and the forward movement of the finger piece m causes the forward or cut-off arm m to move upward toward the cartridge which has been pushed rearwardly upon the lifter and into the path of the next cartridge, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, so as to hold the neXt cartridge from being pushed rearwardly until the latch can return to its normal, locking position. The latch is held in its unlocking position by the slide bar itself, the lower edge of which, as soon as the slide bar is released, passes rearwardly over the shoulder m and holds the rear end of the latch down so long as the slide bar is in rear of its extreme forward position. The movement of the trigger begins the releasing movement of the latch and the action of the hammer through the lifter Z holds the latch down with certainty until the slide bar has passed over the shoulder m The movement of the hammer might be relied upon to effect the unlocking movement of the latch, but the movement of the latch by the trigger slightly in advance of the action of the hammer relieves the hammer from the performance of any work in moving the latch, the hammer in effect acting only to hold the latch down after it has been moved although the action of the trigger and the hammer are nearly simultaneous. It will be noted that this safety latch, operated by the trigger, the hammer or the finger piece, is in one integral piece, whereby the cost of manufacture is decreased and the certainty of action is increased, that the same part acts as acut-off for the cartridges, and that it is directly engaged by the trigger rather than through an intermediate part.

The safety latch a, shown in detailin Fig. 14 and in its relation to other parts in Figs. 1, 2, 8, 4 and 7 as a cylinder provided with a handle or operating wing 07, and with a spring detent 41F, and having one side fiattened as at W, is mounted for rotation in the frame just back of the trigger. When the safety is in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 the flat or recess a stands directly in rear of a lug 0 of the trigger and therefore permits the trigger to be pulled, but when the safety is partly rotated the fiat is turned away from the lug of the trigger and the trigger is thereby held in an inoperative position. The position of the handle a, standing in the path of the finger which normally falls behind the trigger guard, indicates at once to the user that the safety is on and the gun locked without requiring the user to find this out by pressing the trigger, and by an easy movement of the finger the safety is moved to its open or unlocked position.

The ejector, shown at t in Figs. 2, 4, 5, 6 and 9, is also in one integral piece, is retracted positively, is operated to eject the empty shell positively and does not depend upon a spring or springs for its action. It is located in a lateral recess 6 in the left hand side of the breech-block e and is retained therein by the head of a screw 6 At its forward end it is provided as usual with an extractor hook t and an ejcctor finger t cooperating as usual with an opposite extractor The ejector is also provided near its rear end and on its outer side with a lug t which travels in a groove 0 formed in the side of the receiver and formed with a deeper cut or cross cut 0 at its rear end. The ejector is also formed at its rear end with an inclined shoulder t to cooperate with an inclined shoulder 6 formed on the underside of the groove 6. When the breeclrblock is in its closed position, as shown in Fig. 5, the ejector occupies the position shown in said figure, the extractor hook t engaging the rim of the cartridge in the chamber of the barrel. As the breech-block moves rearwardly the ejector moves rearwardly with it, the cartridge bein held between the lip t of the ejector and the opposing extractor 6 As the breech-block approaches the limit of its rearward motion the lug 25 passes into the deeper part 0 of the groove 0 and is held from further rearward movement with the breech-block, which continues its rearward movement for a short distance. At the same time the inclined shoulder a cooperates with the inclined shoulder t of the ejector to press the rear end of the ejector to the left, as shown in Fig. 6, so that the forward end of the ejector is projected beyond the face of the breech-block and at the same time is thrown to the right, the head of the screw 6 forming a fulcrum on which the ejector is rocked. This action ejects the empty shell through the opening 0 in the side of the receiver. In the forward movement of the breech-block the forward edge of the groove 6 in the breech-block acts against the inclined rear edge of the ejector finger t and rocks the ejector on the head of the screw 6" as a fulcrum and withdraws the lug from the deeper part 0 of the recess so that the ejector is carried forward with the breechblock to its normal position. The inner face of the slide bar 74 is formed with a vertical groovek so that when the gun is taken down and the breech-block is withdrawn. the lug of the ejector may pass downward freely through the groove $2 The operation of the several features of the invention has been fully explained in connection with the description of the construction and relations of the various parts and no further explanation of the operation of the firearm as a whole is necessary.

It will be seen that the number of parts has been reduced greatly with a consequent reduction in the cost of manufacture and an improvement in the operation of the firearm, particularly in the way of the lessening of liability to breakage and derangement of parts and of increased certainty of action under all conditions.

The several features of improvement have been devised with especial reference to their conjoint use in a firearm of the type of that referred to herein and shown particularly in Fig. 1, but it will be obvious that not all of the several features are necessarily used in one structure and that some of them might be used in cooperation with other fea-. tures of construction than those shown.

The invention, furthermore, is not limited to the precise details of construction and ar rangement shown, since such details may be varied more or less to suit different condi tions of use.

I claim as my invention 1. In a firearm, the combination of a re-, ceiver, a breech-block movable longitudinally therein, a slide bar operatively con-. nected with the breech-block, a spring pressed pivoted latch adaptedto engage the slide bar and having a cut-off finger to stand in the path of the cartridges, and a trigger directly engaging the latch. I

2. In a firearm, the combination of a receiver, a longitudinally movable breechblock, a slide bar operatively connected with Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner Washington, D. G.

the breech-block, a slide latch adapted. to

said slide bar being adapted to move over;

said shoulder andhold it in unlocked posii tion when released, and means to actuate said latch. p

4. In a firearm,'the combination of a receiver, a breech-block movable longitudinally therein, a pivoted lifter having at its rear end a rearwardly tapered lug, a slide bar operatively connected with the breechblock and having at its rear end a forwardly tapered lug to cooperate with the lug of the lifter,the lug of the slide bar passing under the lug of the lifter in its rearward movement, and means todepress slightly the rear s end of the lifter before the forward move,

ment of the slide bar begins whereby inits forward movement the lug of the slide bar acts upon the upper side of the lug of the" lifter and furtherdepresses the rear end of i s0 5. In a firearm, the combination of a rethe lifter.

ceiver, a breech-block longitudinally movable in the receiver, a slide bar operatively I connected with the breech-block, a hammer mounted movably on'the breech-block, a pivoted slide latch adapted to engage theslideand a pivoted lifter, the hammer acting upon the latchthrough the lifter to hold the latch in unlocked position.

Th's specification signed and witnessed this 15th day of January, A. D, 1913.

EDWARD E. REDFIELD.

of Patents, 

